The Doctor and the Detective
by Nayeri
Summary: Harry Potter has fled the wizarding world. Why, and why is Severus Snape living as a Muggle in America?
1. Leaving Magic Behind

(Author's note: Okay, I know that I said I wouldn't do another story until I'd finished the three that I'm already working on, but I'm having serious writer's block with Runner. So, to answer my muse's insistance, I'm writing this little fic. Disclaimer: I own none of this. SVU and HP belong to their respective authors/creators.)

**Summary**: Harry disappears from the wizarding world after defeating Voldemort. The Dursleys, too, are gone, and no one knows where they are. Ten years later finds Severus Snape in America having taken a job as a muggle doctor. What happens when a patient of his brings a mysterious, and yet oddly familliar, man to the hospital he works in?

_Hogwarts, 1997, the Autumn after the fall of Voldemort_

Every wizard and witch in Hogwarts was looking forward to the year without the threat of Voldemort hanging over their heads. The previous semester their hero, Harry Potter, had finally destroyed the menace. Even Snape, the greasy-bat-of-the-dungeons, had been seen smiling at the ending feast the previous year. The only one who didn't seem all that happy was Dumbledore, though he wasn't exactly angry. There was just something about his personality that seemed to have changed slightly over the summer. For when the students came into the hall on the welcoming feast, the Headmaster had dressed in far more somber clothes than he ever had before. This, of course, concerned the staff members; in turn, the children became nervous that something had happened.

Something had happened, but only three people noticed at first. When Snape came up to Ron Weasley and Hermoine Granger to ask where Potter was, the rest of the school found out that the saviour of the wizarding world had not come back to school. This stirred up their society, and some people started to panic. Especially when it was discovered that the Dursleys had disappeared as well. People were questioned left and right, but not even Remus Lupin, who had become Harry's godfather after the death of Black, knew where his godson was.

The uproar lasted a good long while, but not long enough for Ron and Hermoine, and surprisingly, not for Snape. The man suspected something had happened, for he had overheard many conversations to the effect that the boy had planned on returning that year. But Potter had gone to see the Headmaster, and even he had seen the difference in the teen when he had left that meeting. Whatever had happened, it hadn't been good. So it was no wonder that Snape left shortly after the school year that would have been Potter's last. He decided to live a Muggle life, and moved to America, away from the bad memories that England held for him.

_Ten years later, Roosevelt Hospital_

Severus sighed, and scrubbed at his face quietly after washing his hands. He looked in the bathroom mirror, and muttered to himself "These nights just keep getting longer and longer." It had been a hard shift, though thankfully he hadn't lost any of his patients. He had an hour longer on the job, then he could go home and get some much needed sleep. Exitting the bathroom, he went back onto his patrol in the ER. He sometimes wondered why he had chosen to be a doctor in the ER field; then he always saw his next patient, and it fueled the original passion to help people. He had willingly given up his life as a wizard, had even gone to such lengths as to put his wand away. After the events of his early life, he had difficulty with his memories. So he buried himself in his work, despite his age of forty-seven or so.

His retrospects were caught off that night as he heard the approaching sirens of an ambulance. The incoming patient was a thirteen year old girl, fair of face and yet far too thin. She bore bruises on almost every inch of her body, and she had been put on oxygen to keep her from slipping away. The ER team rushed to save her, barely managing to keep her alive. They found out three disturbing facts: she'd been abused, she suffered from malnutrition, and she'd been raped repeatedly. Severus was sent to call in the Special Victims Unit, which he did, barely keeping his temper under control.

The other doctors were sympathetic. It was never easy when a child was in such bad shape. But Severus took it harder than the rest. He had seen terrible things in his time as a Death Eater. Once he left England, he swore that he would do his best to help those who had suffered like that. It still didn't help with the fact that seeing such misery in anyone, but especially a child, was trying on the distanced doctor.

It didn't take long for a team to arive. The detectives were greeted by Severus, who was given their names as prope curtesy. He was stunned, though he wouldn't admit it to anybody, when he saw Detective Evans. Something about the man was familiar, and yet the ER doctor could swear he didn't know him.

Terrance Evans was also having a bit of difficulty. He _did_ know the ER doctor, and fear had raced through his body when he first met him. Unlike Snape, Terrance had something to hide. And he was terrified that his secret would be uncovered. He wondered how this night was going to get any worse. A rape case with a teen as a victim, and meeting the only one in America who might ever recognize him. Of course, though, he would discover how the night could become much worse than it was already. Then he'd wish he had made no thought towards that damning phrase.

(End Author's note: Alright, so that chapter is done. I know it's a cliffie, but if you people don't know me by now, why do you still read my stuff? A long chapter, I think. I hope you people like, and will forgive me for posting a new story before finishing Runner.)


	2. Not Quite a Muggle

(Author's note: Okay, new chapter. I was somewhat surprised at the good reception I got from everyone. Thanks, folks. Without further ado, on we go)

_Last time:_

_Terrance Evans was also having a bit of difficulty. He did know the ER doctor, and fear had raced through his body when he first met him. Unlike Snape, Terrance had something to hide. And he was terrified that his secret would be uncovered. He wondered how this night was going to get any worse. A rape case with a teen as a victim, and meeting the only one in America who might ever recognize him. Of course, though, he would discover how the night could become much worse than it was already. Then he'd wish he had made no thought towards that damning phrase._

Jason 'Jace' Baker was a calm man, which was definitely needed in his line of work. He had joined the force at pretty much the same time that his partner Terry had, and they worked tremendously well together. The most important aspect was that Jace had, from the very beginning, been able to cool Terry's fire-cracker temper. He also gave a bit of intimidation to the team. The one reason for that was: Jace was big. He was six foot six inches, and every one of those inches had muscle. He more than made up for his partner's somewhat small frame.

Terry was no slouch at the gym either, but he was only about the size of a somewhat tall woman. His rage more than surpassed his petite-ness, however. It was one of the things that made him the more feared partner...once a criminal knew him that is. He was also far too serious for the liking of his friends, which is why he had easily befriended Jace. He was the only one who could make him smile.

So, Jace was a calm fellow, but even he had his limits. And seeing a teenage girl near death after having suffered from obvious abuse and/or neglect was one of them. The kid had only just come into her adolescent years, yet there was the start of worry lines around her face. Jace and Terry both recognized the signs, which were blaringly obvious. Whoever this girl was, she had been tormented for years before her abusers had gone too far.

Terry and Jace rarely needed to exchange looks, as they had worked well together for the past few years. However, this time their eyes did meet, and both saw in the other the same emotion: horror. They had never dealt with a case so serious, where it was blatantly obvious that a child had never been pulled out of the situation. Terry's eyes were beginning to glitter, a sure sign that he was ready to go on a rampage to find the abusers and pull them to justice with force if need be. Jason shook his head imperceptibly, quite aware that there were a few doctors around that were putting together a case file for the teen. With a case like this, where the guardian was the suspect, the two from the SVU needed all the evidence they could get.

Severus watched the two men carefully with spy trained eyes. Both seemed to be furious at seeing the abuse, which is how it should be for someone working in their field. However, the smaller man Terry seemed to be unusually tense, particularly when he had to get near him to view what was being collected. That was unusual, and he filed it away for later inspection. Right now he had to get the evidence ready to be transferred to the crime labs. With the amount of damage the poor girl had, it was unlikely that there wouldn't be a strong case; that is, once they captured the bastard who had done this to her.

Terry grimaced quietly as he watched Jace put the photos up for the rest of the unit to see. The images were disturbing, to say the least, though it was unsurprised that it was Stabler who reacted the worse. He had a few children of his own, so it had to be hard for him to see a girl who was no older than his daughter to be in such poor shape. It was a mystery to all of them how any parent could treat their child like this, however, and Terry was forcing himself to remain as calm as possible so as to not set anyone else off.

Jason looked at the unit, and took in a deep breath. He hated being in front of people, to perform like this; but it had been his team to bring in the evidence, and Terry had been the last one to present it the previous time. Shrugging off mentally the nerves, he began to speak in his soft voice "The girl is thirteen years of age, bearing the marks of multiple beatings and rapes as well as starvation. However, her name is unknown, as are her parents."

As the jobs became clear, the teams separated to do them. They wanted to solve this case as soon as possible, lest the child be found and hurt worse. Stabler and Benson were to go to the schools nearest the hospital to try and find out who the child was. Munch and Fin were sent to track down any and all abuse cases set aside or half-solved.

Terry, as well as Jace, was sent home to get some sleep. They had been going for the past week catching hour naps in the precinct before heading back out on the job. Terry complained quietly to the Captain, but didn't put up much of a fight. He was, indeed, extremely exhausted.

Terry walked into his apartment on silent feet, not wishing to wake anyone up at this hour. As he closed the door and locked it, he sagged slightly with relief. Moving to his fireplace, which was little more than a decoration, he grabbed a jar of powder off the mantle. Taking a handful, he replaced the jar, and tossed it where the fire would go. Stepping into the green flames, he said clearly "Wildwood Manor, Tiger Blossom!"

He tensed slightly as the old familiar feeling attacked his stomach, before he stepped out into his home miles from New York. Sighing, he grabbed the nearby towel to scrub his face and hands clean of the soot he never seemed to be able to leave behind. Placing his badge, gun and beeper where he could easily find it, he went into his bedroom.

There he removed his work clothes, putting them in the laundry basket to be washed later. Looking at his reflection in the wardrobe mirror, he sighed once more. Concentrating briefly, he dropped the glamours he wore while working. Brilliant green eyes stared back at him, the familiar face half a comfort, half a curse. The scar was long gone, and his hair had grown so much as to lose the messiness. But there was no doubt who he was, despite the scars that littered his torso. Some were years old, a result of belt whips, others were new that had been obtained in his current line of work. Terry said to his reflection "Hello there, Harry. You do know that Snape will be onto you within a week?" His reflection didn't answer back, as it was a purely Muggle artifact. He then said to himself "I miss magic."

(End Author's Note: Late, I know. What with finishing Runner and starting up the Fall Semester, I haven't really wanted to write lately. Note about the last line: He engages in minimal magic, but things involving him, such as his reflection, have been barred by his putting his wand away. Please R&R.)


	3. Not Quite What he Bargained for

(Author's note: Well, I'm a bit late, but better than waiting a year I suppose. Without further ado, on we go.)

_Last time:_

_His reflection didn't answer back, as it was a purely Muggle artifact. He then said to himself "I miss magic."_

Severus sighed, sitting at a booth in the local bar and grill. He normally didn't drink, but after a night like last night, he needed a cup of liquor. His poison: Corona beer. It was of a fairly good make, with a low enough alcohol content that he wouldn't get drunk off of a bottle. Especially as he was eating a rather heavy meal: fried fish and what the Americans called french fries. He would have called them chips.

He was half-way through his meal when someone came into his line of sight. Looking up, he noticed that it was one of the detectives from last night. He cudgeled his brain for the information, as he hadn't talked very much to this one. Then he remembered the name: Jason Baker.

Jason looked quietly at the doctor, and said softly "Do you mind if I sit here, Doctor Snape?" He was dressed in casual clothes: jeans, a black undershirt, and a leather jacket. The jacket was loose enough that it was impossible to tell if he was carrying a gun or not.

Jason smiled slightly, and sat down when motioned to do so. When he was asked why he was at the bar and grill, he said "It just happens to be the best place for a beer that's close enough to my apartment to be convenient, Dr. Snape. And please, none of that Detective stuff. I'm off duty, so call me Jason." He grinned a slightly impudent grin, his eyes sparkling.

Severus smirked, though he hid it behind a drink of his beer. He said "You've got the part about this being the best place to find beer around here." He then remakred casually "I'm not on duty either, so call me Severus." Though he would never tell anyone this, he too could be impudent.

He asked casually "So, where is your partner, Detective Evans?" He would be polite to this giant of a man, but he really wanted to find out more about the mysterious young detective he had met the previous night. He really felt like he should know him, yet all the clues were escaping him for the moment.

Jason scratched the back of his head, taking a sip of the very light beer that had been given to him by a cute waitress. He said "Terry? He's likely asleep at his home right now. He sleeps longer than I do, when he gets there."

His voice had barely trailed off when he was bombarded with more questions: how long had Evans been on the force? Did Jason know what Evans did before he joined SVU? The kinds of questions one would ask if they were digging while looking as if they were truly interested. He said "Terry has been on as long as I have...since September 12, 2001. I don't know what he did before then...probably was training in the Academy."

Severus winced at the mention of that horrifying year. He had still been in college, thankfully, and hadn't been near New York during the time. He could still understand why Jason's eyes had darkened at the mention of the day after dooms day. There had been a lot of deaths that day, many including police and fire department. He wished he hadn't asked, but he had to know.

Jason stiffened slightly, his eyes following a hulking figure leaving the bar. He didn't know why, but he fully suspected that something was going down that night, and he had better make sure that it didn't end up with people dead or dying. He said "Excuse me, Severus, but I just saw someone I think I know." He slipped away as gracefully as he could, trying not to make the other man suspicious.

Trying not to make Severus Snape suspicious was a sure way to get his spy trained mind working. He finished the last fry, put down what he owed plus tip, and followed cautiously behind the detective. He wished now that he had some type of weapon on him besides his fists. After all, fists didn't do much good in a fire fight.

He had expected that his muscles would be tight and unable to keep up with the police trained detective. He found that his spying years had given his body knowledge that it normally wouldn't. Coupled with the fact that he had continued keeping his body in shape, meant that he could easily trail the detective without getting left too far behind.

It was difficult though, to keep his movements trained to the others while he was close. He had to move in perfect sync with the detective, walking how he walk and stopping when he stopped. He was so concentrated on making sure he wasn't heard that he nearly missed the fact that there were runners in the alleyways next to theirs. He tensed up almost immediatley, though he kept his outward appereance as cool as if he was going in front of the Dark Lord again.

It was his readiness for action that saved both his and Jason's life that night. Police trained he might be, but spy Jason was not. Thus it was only Severus quickly tackling Jason to the ground, once he saw the snipers aiming, that kept him from becoming swiss cheese. He suspected that Jason would have struggled if the sound of several guns going off didn't make him freeze. Severus would wonder afterward why the snipers hadn't used silencers or been more careful. For now he wondered if he was going to see the emergency room the next night as a patient or a doctor.

(End Author's note: Told you I would get it up in time. Also, for those of you who had lost someone in that terrible tragedy in New York nearly 11 years ago, forgive me if I seem like I'm trying to make it just a part of a story. I hold deep sympathy and regret for what happened that day, but I always wanted to know what it would be like if Harry and/or Severus had to live through it. So, please R&R but be gentle. I bruise easily.)


	4. Illegal Use of Magic?

(Author's Note: I know that it has been over a year, and I apologize. However, I truly do feel that stories like this one occasionally need to be put on the back burner, especially in response to some of my more popular stories. I will be returning to my one chapter a story rotation now; please check out my AFF account under the same name for some of my stories that wouldn't be permitted here on FF. Without further ado, on we go)

_Last time:_

_For now he wondered if he was going to see the emergency room the next night as a patient or a doctor._

Once Jace realized what was going on, he quickly pushed Severus under cover, following suit. Quickly pulling out the gun he was never without, even off duty, he aimed carefully at the snipers. He should have realized, when he saw that hulking figure, that he would be led into a trap. He knew well enough that this gang liked to take out detectives that got too curious. He also recognized the fact that, despite his intentions to prevent blood shed, there was going to be some tonight.

With that in mind, he glanced over at Severus, whose face was whiter than normal. Jace said sharply "Snape, do you have a cellphone?" When the other man nodded, Jace continued "Dial emergency, tell them Detective Jason Baker requests backup at" here he listed the address they were at. Once the other man started the emergency phone call, Jace took aim and fired.

While he wasn't the best eye in the squad, he had enough accuracy to disable most snipers' hands. This he did, being careful to duck down after every few shots. He rather liked his brain attatched to his body, and didn't have any desire to see it splattered all over the wall. Despite this, he knew that he was at a deadly disadvantage: he only had one gun, and limited ammo at that. There was at least six snipers that he could see, and they could spare the time, and ammo, to fire at will. After all, even if he disabled a few, the guns still had ammo in them and the other snipers could easily take these guns if their own ran out.

He grimaced when his gun stopped firing, finally out of bullets. Ducking back behind cover, he muttered, "Sorry, Severus. Looks like this is the end of the line for you and me." The doctor blinked, and growled under his breath. He whispered something that Jace couldn't hear, and suddenly the bullets stopped hitting the wall behind their cover.

Jace looked startled, and peeked above their cover. He noted that the bullets kept flying in front of him, but stopped before they reached him. He shook his head, deciding that he must be seeing things, and ducked back down. He was a little too slow, as whatever had stopped the bullets from reaching them managed to scrape along the top of his scalp, taking off some hair and skin.

Severus cursed, and tore off a piece of his shirt to press against the wound to prevent blood from getting everywhere. As the doctor was treating the wound, one of the most blessed sounds reached the two besieged fellows: police sirens. The snipers stopped their shooting, and there was a general sound of feet running as the gang fled the police forces they were not equipped to deal with.

When backup arrived, Severus had already made a makeshift bandage, and was making sure that Jace didn't go into shock. Seeing that one of their own was injured, the police officers called in an ambulance. Once they were on board, they were both treated for stress and Jace was being checked over to make sure the skull hadn't been chipped. It was with relief that they made it to the hospital, and were told that, while the majority of the gang members had escaped, a few of the injured ones had also been taken to the hospital and would then be heading down to the precinct.

A few hours had passed, and Jace was kicking up a bit of a fuss as he wasn't allowed to leave until someone signed him out. As Severus was in no condition to do so at the moment, having been tranqued to slow his racing heart a bit, it meant that Jace would have to wait for awhile to get out and get back home.

This, of course, didn't go over well with the large man, who was saying in a tight voice "I'm telling you, I'm perfectly fine! I'm not dizzy, the bleeding has stopped and there is absolutley no reason that I should be kept here overnight!" While normally calm, he hated hospitals, and fussed worse than a recalcitrant toddler getting their first shot.

A voice cut through the middle of his rant, harsh with disapproval "Jason Aiden Baker, stop that fussing right this minute!" Jace looked up, and blanched as he saw his partner standing at the food of his bed, his face hard and his eyes harder. It was all too obvious that Terry was furious with Jace, and with a damned good reason too.

(End Author's Note: Sorry it is short guys, but I wanted to get Jace and Sev out of there with minimal injury. Please note that, while Severus has given up his wand, he can and will use a mild Protego when absolutley necessary. Also, to my new readers, PLEASE stop requesting me to change things in already FINISHED stories! Please R&R!)


End file.
